Government sees summer gasoline and diesel averaging close to $3/gal

摘要

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) just issued a temperate prediction for petroleum prices this summer, on the assumption that fuel demand would be steady and OPEC production will rise slightly. EIA sees retail unleaded regular averaging $2.92/gal this summer, and even takes a stab at a peak, projecting that the top might be $2.97/gal. EIA believes that retail diesel may average about $2.975/gal in the summer. Gasoline prices averaged $2.86/gal at presstime, according to OPIS, and diesel pump prices were at $3.028/gal nationally. Benchmark WTI crude futures, meanwhile, touched $87/bbl this week, but EIA believes that the blend will average $81.50/bbl in the second and third quarters, down about $5/bbl from presstime.